I'm attaching a draft copy of the next product review to appear on my site here for feedback and comments. You'll have a little over 24 hours to reply, as I'll likely be posting this on Tuesday. Not all of the links are active and not all of the final formats are in place, as it takes a lot of time to re-enter this into the forums. Thanks in advance for any feedback!

Today’s product review focuses on several new items from custom house BrickForge that we are classifying under a common theme of ‘soldiers gear’. Although we compare many of the items here to items used by military groups during World War II, they can have a wide variety of uses and purposes no matter what theme or subject area. The items under review today include the Backpack, Ammo Pouches, Canteen, Shovel, and Grease Gun.

Another recent release which could easily fall under the ‘soldier’s gear’ category is the soldier helmet. This was reviewed recently with other military headgear which can be found here.

It is our objective to provide everyone with enough information to decide which of these products are right for you.

The BrickForge backpack is not modeled or styled after any particular backpack or rucksack. This accessory has applications for your military minifigures, as well as for campers, adventurers, and mountain climbers.

The backpack is hollow on the inside, but does not open. It attaches to the minifigure via the head post.

The BrickForge backpack is unique in that it has two clips on each side allowing for additional accessories to be added. The picture here shows both the shovel and canteen attached; however, any accessory that can be held in a minifigure hand should be able to clip on.

The backpack sits higher on the minifigure’s back so it can be used with other BrickForge accessories like the centaur bodies or to allow for ammo pouches to sit beneath.

The BrickForge ammo pouches are a new accessory with a lot of custom potential. The packs attach to the minifigure by a single torso post. They can be arranged to sit toward the front, side, or back. You can even place two going in different directions without any problems.

Ideally you would want to place one pouch on each side. When only one pouch is in place, there’s a gap on the opposite side between the hip and the torso.

When the ammo pouch is in the side position, it can obstruct full arm movement. The picture above shows how far the arm can go back in this case. The ammo pouches are sold individually and come in seven colors - Black, Dark Blueish Gray, Dark Orange, Dark Tan, Reddish Brown, Tan, and White.

The BrickForge canteen is styled after a general type used by the US military. The canteen is one solid piece, with connection points on either side and on the cap. The canteen can attach to the backpack via the cap (as shown above). The canteen comes in five colors - Black, Bronze, Dark Blueish Gray, Sand Green, and Silver.

The BrickForge shovel is modeled after portable military entrenching tools often carried by infantry soldiers. The piece itself, measures 2.5 cm in length with 1.3 cm of that being the handle. The handle is not long enough for the minifig to grip with two hands, only one. As with the canteen, the shovel can attach to the backpack via the handle (as shown above). The shovel comes in five colors - Black, Bronze, Dark Blueish Gray, Sand Green, and Silver.

The BrickForge grease gun is based on the M3 sub-machine gun used by US soldiers during World War II. The M3 was an automatic, air-cooled blowback-operated weapon that fired from an open bolt. The design of the M3 was initiated when the US Army noticed the effectiveness of sub-machine guns being used in Western Europe, such as the British Sten gun. The nickname ‘grease gun’ came from the weapon’s resemblance to the mechanics tool.

The BrickForge grease gun has two primary connection points - the handle of the gun and along the body. The gun measures 2.0 cm in length and 1.3 cm from top to bottom. The gun can only be held by a single hand. The grease gun comes in four colors - Black, Bronze, Dark Blueish Gray, and Silver.

In summary, all of these parts are recommended buys. All of the parts we've covered had firm connections and solid ABS construction. These are great accessories to add additional details to your military style minifigures or other creations.

Excellent review with great pictures. Everything looks perfect. Additional stats/info about the backpack include it being able to fit brass knuckles and the lack of the bedroll accommodating many headgear variations.

_________________"I might be a few bricks short of a wall, but they are Lego bricks. Watch where you step, because they hurt like a #*%$#"

Additional stats/info about the backpack include it being able to fit brass knuckles and the lack of the bedroll accommodating many headgear variations.

Thanks for the feedback! I just want to clarify on the points above..

When you say the backpack can fit brass knuckles, do you mean in the cavity of the backpack itself?

The second aspect may be even more important. I believe both of the BrickForge 'military helmets' are designed to allow for the standard LEGO backpack (with bedroll) to be used, right? You are referring to the headgear in the 'other' category that may sit lower on the back of the minifigure's head and interfere with using said backpack. A very important point! I don't know if I'll have time to photograph an example, but I'll be sure to mention it in the text.

Yes, the brass knuckles fit inside the cavity. I know it's not a major feature, but was just pointing it out. The lack of bedroll notation was in reference to other headgear. I don't think a picture is necessary.

_________________"I might be a few bricks short of a wall, but they are Lego bricks. Watch where you step, because they hurt like a #*%$#"

I love these reviews, and although I'm not much for military BF items, your review makes me want to get some ammo pouches and backpacks for D&D characters. This made me think that you could suggest other possible uses for the items you review, if you happen to think of them or others have used them in such-and-such a way.

If I may suggest a product for your next review, I'd love to see a side-by-side comparison of BF's different swords/daggers.

_________________my... flickr - blogPM me if you have a custom decal request!

Thanks! Yes, the 'military gear' classification was just a way to unify these new items into a theme. There are lot's of other possibilities for these products.

hawkxs wrote:

If I may suggest a product for your next review, I'd love to see a side-by-side comparison of BF's different swords/daggers.

I'll have to consider a blades review. I believe there would be quite a few folks who would be interested. BrickForge has so many products to choose from even running reviews on 'older' items can keep them top of mind. I even catch myself seeing a previously released item and going, "Hey, BF released a new sword!" only to find out it was just 'new to me'.

I have at least one other BF themed review planned for the near future (the new hair pieces). In addition to this I have several other reviews planned from *others* in my backlog. With 6 BrickForge product reviews since September, I'm sure I'll be covering a lot more in 2011.

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